LE MANS, France — Le Mans officials have again said that starting in 2010 they will introduce new prototype regulations that will call for enclosed-coupe bodies rather than the current open-topped spyders.
Representatives of the L’Automobile Club du L’Quest, the sanctioning body for the 24-hour classic, said they wanted to have the cars more closely identified with the road vehicles that the manufacturers participating in LMP1 make.
However, there were few details available, other than the fact that, as with the Grand American’s Daytona Prototypes, the ACO wants to have a rather large windshield area.
American Le Mans Series President Scott Atherton, interviewed by American television, indicated there remains much to be worked out before the rules are put in place. ACO representatives also said that the current prototypes would be permitted to run along side their newer rivals in 2010.
Given past history, and given the fact that Atherton and IMSA President Tim Mayer have created their own prototype “look” for the ALMS by bringing parity to the prototype scene between the LMP1 and LMP2 categories, it is not entirely clear how the new regs will impact the ALMS.

- Pratt and Miller team officials say they will take a close look at the circumstances that put their Corvette C6R, driven by Olivier Beretta, Oliver Gavin and Max Papis, out of this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.
The car retired early during a yellow-flag period when the lightweight composite driveshaft shattered. There was speculation that the driveshaft may have come apart because of engine vibrations resulting from the team’s use of electronic engine technology that partially shuts down the car’s V-8 powerrplant to save fuel during full-course cautions, this after the team suffered a similar problem earlier this season.

- Unfortunately for the Flying Lizard Porsche 911 GT3RSR crew, this has not been a good year.
After being beaten at Sebring by Jaime Melo’s Risi Competizione Ferrari 430GT in a last-lap, last-turn controversial bumping incident, the crew came to Le Mans with high hopes that the endurance classic would favor them and their car’s reliability.
That did not happen, however, as the Flying Lizard Porsche complete in its “Art Car” paint scheme retired with engine problems after drivers Johannes van Overbeek, Seith Neiman and Jorg Bergmeister had put in contention for a victory.
Still, with Lime Rock next on their calendar, the Flying Lizard folks are hoping for better things.